PHILIPSBURG:--- Area Governor Sinatra Rouse of Area 23, has completed the first round of Officers Training for Toastmasters in Area 23 and any other member from Area 24 who missed the July training workshop.
Club officers from the six clubs on both sides (French and Dutch) of the island, as well as Anguilla, must be trained two times during the Toastmasters year, which runs from July to June.
With the addition of the Anguilla Toastmasters Club this year, the Area was split in two with Advanced Communicator Gold (ACG) Rouse controlling Area 23 and Advanced Leader Bronze Malcolm Jacques, Area 24.
As such, both Areas scheduled trainings that are open to officers of all six clubs. Jacques, along with Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) Rolande Tobias, and District 81 Lieutenant Governor of Education and Training, Valerie Brazier DTM, led club officers through the first training in July, while Rouse's first training netted all other officers who were unable to attend the July workshop.
Over two days, August 12 and 17, clubs under AG Rouse's leadership – Disciples, Philipsburg, and Soualiga Corporate Toastmasters Clubs – were led through presentations by Rouse, Tobias, and Brazier.
Amid a full house at St. Maarten Academy, where the August 12 workshop was held, Rouse presented on the roles and responsibilities of the various club officers, while Tobias and Brazier looked at conducting effective evaluations and how to motivate members to have a successful year, respectively.
During the interactive sessions, club officers fielded questions and benefited from the knowledge of the more experienced Toastmasters. In total, 19 more officers are now equipped with the knowledge of how to plan and set personal and club goals.
Most officers after the trainings expressed renewed confidence on how to progress as some of their misconceptions were cleared up. They were also motivated to grow personally, and to see their clubs, areas and district achieve greater success come next year June.
Clubs on St. Maarten and Anguilla take pride in working together as a team, as they see themselves as completing each other, and not competing against one another.
